Beating Hard
by Phia Phi
Summary: AU/AH: Life for Chloe has always followed a pattern; move house, stay for a while, settle in, move again. But when she meets a group of girls for her photography project, life goes from constant to unpredictable. As if being a necromancer wasn't enough, she finds that her new friends are not who they claim to be, and they have enemies. Enemies who have their sights set on Chloe.
1. New Life

**Me: Hi guys.**

**Olivia: It's been forever.**

**Pasha: But it's a new year.**

**Alison: I cannot wait to get this started again.**

**Stephanie: It has been far too long.**

**Hannah: And we are glad to be back.**

**Imogen: And we're happy to be doing this story again.**

**Me: And without further ado, the improved Beating Hard Chapter One. **

**All: Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chloe's POV<strong>

Tori, Liz, Rae and I walked over to our place under the cherry blossom tree as lunch started. We laughed and joked, discussing the photography project Tori, Rae and I still needed to complete that was, in fact, due in today. Our teacher had commented on our lack of homework, giving us the whole lecture about committing to the course, and further letting us off the hook, with the promise that we would hand it in next lesson.

It was either that, or fail the year and be forced to attend summer school and complete community service in order to bump up our grade to a pass.

Not happening.

If my summer was at stake, I was going to complete this project, even though I couldn't muster the will to do it. Three months ago, I had first arrived at this school, having moved because of my father's work. And I was never this rebellious or lazy when it came to work, that was until I had met Tori, Liz and Rae. And it was somewhat accidental.

_Chloe Saunders stepped into the school building, glancing at the diverse types of people that passed her in the hallways, hundreds of faces that would never remember her, and those she would never see again after her temporary stay here. _

_Steve Saunders, Chloe's father, travelled around frequently in order to complete his work, and when duty calls, the two of them went to where the work was. It didn't matter how much it destroyed Chloe's life, at least that's what it felt like. _

_Chloe didn't really have much of a problem with the travelling; she enjoyed seeing different angles of the world; understanding other cultures, especially since her father was rarely around, leaving her alone in the house more often that not._

_Chloe strolled around, finding her classroom, and starting a new life and experience with her favourite course: photography._

_As Chloe entered the classroom, every head in the room turned and watched the short, blue eyed, blonde haired, fifteen year old girl step into the classroom. After introducing herself, everyone went back to work, their attention averted except for two girls perched at the back of the room, secluded from everyone else. _

_Chloe caught their gazes before hastily turning back to the teacher who explained the course, and directed her to a seat at the back of the class. As Chloe walked to her seat, she could feel the eyes of the two girls on her, and it made her uncomfortable. _

_One of the two girls had olive skin, her eyes deep, caramel brown orbs, that swirled with emotion, her black hair cut short, striped with royal blue streaks, while the other had naturally tanned skin, her hair wild with copper coloured ringlets that fell to her shoulders, coloured with purple highlights, her dark brown eyes like orbs of glowing curiousity. _

_Chloe could see by the set in their shoulders, the bored expressions on the faces and their distracted gazes that it was clear they were not taking this course willingly. As Chloe took her seat, her gazes flickered to their attire, and her assumptions were confirmed; they were rebels. _

_The dark haired girl wore a dark blue dress that came to mid thigh, a silver chain belt with a skull buckle hanging on her hips and a pair of lace up heavy-soled boots that came to her knees. The tanned girl wore a dark purple top that hung from one shoulder, a pair of navy denim shorts with ripped tights and knee high blue converse, the look completed with a pair of skater gloves covering her palms._

_Throughout the class, Chloe struggled to concentrate with the girls' gazes locked on her, making the hair at the back of her neck stand on end. Chloe, however, had managed to hear enough from the teacher to figure out that the class were in groups for this project, meaning Chloe was alone. _

_As the bell went for break, Chloe packed her bag, watching as the two girls met up with a blonde girl, her straight hair hanging to her mid back, striped with pink streaks. Even without the presence of her friends, Chloe could tell this girl was just as rebellious as the other two; wearing a pair of black jeans, a heavy pair of black biker boots on her feet and a black top with three wide holes that looked like rips on the front, a hot pink top underneath._

_Strolling out to the field, Chloe found a spot in the middle of the field, and caught sight of the three people who interested her greatly over by the cherry blossom tree. The thought then hit her; she had found ideal photography subjects for her project. _

_They all sat at the base of the cherry blossom; the dark haired girl with her legs tucked beneath her, the tanned girl legs bent, one upright and the other on its side while the blonde sat with one leg straight, the other bent._

_Chloe hurried to get her camera, taking several shots of the scene, stuffing her camera back in her bag as classes began, Chloe soon finding out that the trio were in all her classes. Chloe followed them, sneaking shots of them undetected, and getting hold of a few pretty good shots._

_At lunch, having already eaten, Chloe made her way over to her spot in the field, camera at the ready as she looked over at the cherry blossom tree. And there were the trio. _

_The blonde stood at the base, her back against the tree with one foot also against the trunk, the dark haired girl standing on a branch with a hand on the trunk for support, while the tanned girl sat on a higher branch, a leg dangling, the other straight as she leant against the tree. Having taken several shots, Chloe was now absolutely sure to have found her subjects. _

_Following them around school for the next two days, Chloe was guaranteed to get at least an A on this. However, on the second day, when she was getting ready to take another picture, the blonde looked up and saw Chloe prepped for a shot._

_The blonde started in Chloe's direction, the other two following close behind and when they were only feet away, Chloe lowered her camera and stood. The blonde stepped forward, "What do you think you're doing?"_

_Chloe looked at her with a steady look, her voice just as steady, "Photography project."_

_Taking another stepped forward, she asked, the request lost in her eyes that swirled with annoyance, "Mind if I see 'em?"_

_Chloe merely took a step forward, her face only a scant few inches from the blonde's, "Actually, its _my_ project so I'd rather not share."_

_"Well, considering we're the subjects, maybe we should have the opportunity to give approval." She replied with a smirk curling up the corner of her mouth. _

_"You're gonna have to get past me first." Chloe may have been small, but when she needed to, she could stand her ground like her life depended on it._

_"I don't have to," the blonde lifted her hand, and resting on the palm was Chloe's camera. "I already have it." The smirk had grown and now she was grinning like a maniac. _

_"Give. It. Back." Chloe demanded slowly, maintaining control of her fast growing temper. _

_"No thanks, unless you're gonna make me." Switching the camera on, the blonde casually started flicking through the pictures, Chloe's anger bubbling over. _

_"Okay, I'm done being reasonable. No one goes through my stuff." Chloe stated, her voice low and menacing, seeming completely off from her innocent personality. But as she lunged at the girl, the blonde lifted her hand, staring down at a picture in amazement. "Girls, check out these shots. They're pretty good, right?" _

_Chloe froze as the other girls leant over, watching the pictures as the blonde flicked through them, both of them nodding in agreement. The blonde looked up, smiling at Chloe, no malice or sarcasm in the smile, only sincerity. "Hi, I'm Liz. This is Tori," the blonde pointed to the dark haired girl who sized Chloe up, rolling her eyes, "and this is Rae." She waved to the tanned girl who smiled enthusiastically. As Liz handed back the camera, she looked dead in Chloe's eyes, a certain seriousness in her own blue eyes, "You've got a real talent right there. Those shots are amazing..." The sentence trailed off and Chloe knew exactly what the girl was expecting; her name._

_"Chloe."_

_"Those are some amazing shots Chloe, I like 'em." _

_"Uh-huh," Chloe wasn't convinced, crossing her amrs over her chest, having the feeling that Liz was now trying to kiss up to her, so she could have her friends out of that photgraphy course. _

_"No, I like _you_, Chloe." Slinging an arm over Chloe's shoulder, she walked Chloe towards the cherry blossom tree, Chloe reluctant to follow. "You were willing to pound me, something many people don't have the guts to do. You've got fire, and that's gonna get you pretty far in this place." She stopped as they made it to the cool shade of the cherry blossom, turning to Chloe, "You know what, I want you to join the group. But," Liz began circling around Chloe, examining every inch of her anatomy, as if she were a pig that was juicy enough for slaughter. _

_Stopping, she evaluated, "We're gonna have to change your look, tweak your attitude, and then maybe you could pass as one of us. Your folks probably won't agree with it though." Liz warned, gauging Chloe's reaction. _

_Chloe had to admit, these girls were okay; they were willing to be her friends just like that. Liz seemed genuinely nice, no hints of her misleading Chloe, so she sighed inwardly, having no energy to remain pissed. _

_"I'm willing to take that risk. My dad's always working so he isn't home very much. And my mum's not around either, being dead and all." Chloe hadn't intended to say that, but it slipped off her tongue, and she jumped as the three of them hugged her as if they were the ones who had lost the most important person in their life. _

_Awkwardly, Chloe comforted them, whispering reassurance, and when they stood straight, a few tears slid down Tori and Rae's cheeks, Liz, however, allowed no tear to escape her teary eyes. As the depressing silence began to press down on Chloe, she smiled and asked, "So... when do we start my _extreme_ makeover?"_

_Automatically, the girls' moods brightened, their sadness disappearing. Chloe wasn't sure whether their overwhelmingly bright moods were results of them getting a new friend, or because they had a new playmate. _

_"Well, first we do fashion which is my line of expertise," Tori said an evil glint in her eyes as she scanned Chloe's baggy clothes. _

_"Then we focus on attitude, which is my strong point," Rae said with one of the biggest smiles Chloe had ever seen. _

_"And finally, lessons on how to attract a guy, and I'm gonna be your tutor," Liz said, giving Chloe a grin that sent shivers down her spine. "Yes, we do have guys in our group," Liz continued, sternly saying, "And no, you cannot meet them, not until you're fully transformed."_

_Tori, who was seen as the most ignorant of the three girls, was actually very excited to change Chloe, already planning what kind of style she could give Chloe for her petite self. So during the last lesson, she was doodling sketches of outfits, setting out possiblities and crossing out others. _

_Tori did like Chloe to a degree, she barely knew the girl so there was no way for her to get a better judgement. But she knew the real reason why Liz was so eager for Chloe to join the group. _

_Everyone who was part of their group was some form of supernatural, which was why Liz barely ever let anyone in the group. _

_Tori was a witch, Liz was a Volo half-demon, Rae was an Exustio half-demon, Tori's half-brother Simon was a sorceror, Peter was a shaman, Brady was an Expisco half-demon and her adopted brother Derek was a werewolf. _

_And she knew along with Rae and Liz, that Chloe was a necromancer. And the likelihood someone would meet a necromancer was rarer than meeting an albino. _

_The bell went, Tori rushing over to Chloe, Liz and Rae following her as she grabbed the petite girl's wrist, dragging her out the school building and onto the pavement outside the school._

_Chloe led the way to her house, Tori shaking with excitement as they discussed the plan for Chloe's makeover. Rae suggested that they spend at least two days on Chloe's clothes, meaning it would take four days to change Chloe. _

_Tori suddenly blurted out a plan that put Rae's to shame, "How about we change Chloe's clothes today, and seeing as though its Friday, we can then spend tomorrow on attitude and Sunday on boy attraction?"_

_"What?!" Rae screamed, eyes wide in shock, "We can't do this in three days, it would be impossible."_

_Tori waved away her protest, "Sure we can do this, we changed you in four days Rae. I think we should try for a record."_

_Tori really wanted to see what they could do, and how fast they could do it, so she could only hope that Liz and Chloe were up to the challenge._

_"I think its possible, but it isn't up to us," Liz said, turning to Chloe, "We can only do this if you're willing, Chloe."_

_"So," Tori started, "You up for it?" _

_Chloe shrugged, saying, "Why not? Let's get ready for this once in a lifetime opportunity." She tried to sound eager, but can you really sound overwhelmingly eager when you're about to change everything about yourself?_

_Tori and Liz launched themselves at Chloe, grabbing her in a bear hug, jumping and screaming with excitement, while Rae stayed on the sidelines and laughed so hard at the looks strangers gave them that she was clutching her stomach. _

_The girls let go, continuing on their way to Chloe's house, stopping short when Chloe made her way into a huge apartment building that stood out in a way that showed that it was possibly more expensive that the rest on the street._

_However, their assumptions were confirmed when they stepped into Chloe's apartment, that happened to be the penthouse, the furniture of such high quality that it probably cost a fortune to rent the place._

_The three rebels made a beeline for Chloe's wardrobe, emptying it of all its contents, organising it into piles of what they could use, and what they couldn't. It turned out that Chloe had lots of stuff that the girls could use, everything other than the baggy clothes the petite blonde wore on a day to day basis._

_As the girls left, Chloe informed Annette, one of the housewives, that she would be staying at a friend's house for the weekend. Annette didn't seem to care, calling in a half bored, half warning tone, "Have fun and stay safe."_

_Having packed all her clothes in four duffel bags, Chloe followed Rae, Tori and Liz as they made their way to The Warehouse. _

_Rae recognised The Warehouse as her home. Once upon a time it had been abandoned, but Liz had bought the place after meeting Simon, Tori and Derek, each of them looking out for the others. They had done most of the decorating before meeting Peter, Rae and Brady who helped finish it all off. And now The Warehouse was home, where they lived, where they hung out, where they had made a family of their own. Rae was glad to have made it into The Warehouse; she could do practically anything. _

_When the girls arrived, they quickly gave Chloe a short tour, lucky not to have run into any of the guys. They escaped to the back of The Warehouse, to a large room that was rarely used, titled the 'Transformation Room' and as they stepped in, Rae stuck up the 'Stay Out' sign before locking the door. _

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><p><strong>Me: So... what do you think?<strong>

**Olivia: Please review, I'd love to know what you think.**

**Stephanie: And hopefully, you guys liked it.**

**Pasha: We look forward to updating soon.**

**Alison: It's going to be fun!**

**Imogen: It's going to be exciting!**

**Hannah: And hopefully it's going to be soon.**

**Me: Until we meet again!**

**All: Adios Amigos!**


	2. New Me

**Hey Pasha here. Haven't got much to say, except that soon Phia Phi will be doing exams so she won't be able to update every month. So just prepare yourselves. Anyway enjoy the brand new chapter two.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: New Me<strong>

_As they began going through the clothes, Liz could tell Tori was having too much fun, customising all of Chloe's clothes. Liz soon took over the customising with Rae as Tori showed Chloe how to mix and match her new clothes. _

_Liz knew why she wanted Chloe in the group, and had no doubt Tori and Rae knew as well. Sure, Chloe was tough, but the prime reason was because she was a necromancer. _

_Liz had been able to tell what supernatural type everyone in The Warehouse was because she recognised the inhibitor accessory each wore; the accessory that helped dim their uncontrollable powers._

_Liz had been able to differentiate the accessories since she was twelve, after having received her own inhibitor - a bracelet - when she was first coming into her powers. _

_Liz could remember clearly what her father had said to her, telling her that she was no normal supernatural, that she was special, and not everyone would appreciate it. _

_When he gave her the bracelet on her twelfth birthday, she remembered how he explained she was one of many genentically modified supernatural teens, and that while she was still becoming accustomed to her powers, she was dangerous. _

_Liz knew then why she was different, she knew she was stronger, and she knew that she would find it hard to find anyone she could relate to. Then she found Simon, Derek and Tori, instantly able to tell that they were just like her; Tori wore a glistening celestial silver chain belt, while Simon wore a black celestial steel wristband and Derek wore a dog tag on a celestial steel chain. _

_She instantly recognised the accessories as the supernatural versions of the regular metals, having been modified to help specific supernaturals who wanted to pursue normal lives. However, Liz knew, the idea reinforced when she met Rae, Peter and Brady, that normal was out of the question. She met them, noticing the studs in Rae's skater gloves as celestial bronze, Brady wearing a celestial steel ring and Peter wearing a belt with a celestial silver lightning bolt buckle. _

_Liz was thrown, though, when she saw the ruby necklace that Chloe wore, having never seen anything like it before, only seeing the supernatural qualities of it when the ruby glowed momentarily, changing from red to blue to purple in a split second. She then knew Chloe was a necromancer. _

_There could be no other answer, could there?_

_After hours of working, customising and detailing, undoing and restarting, the girls finally found a style that could show Chloe's innocence but help her fit in just nicely. Chloe tried on one outfit and the girls knew they hit the jackpot. Rae quickly went through the art of having a bad attitude, finding Chloe always had the attitude but never chose to portray it. _

_The time had escaped the girls, and when they checked, they saw it was late and they should be turning in. So that's what they did. _

_Having shared a room with Rae, Chloe began to stir, wishing she could slip back into the abyss of unconsciousness, but her body was having none of it. _

_So finally she got up, checking on Rae who was deep in sleep, her covers twisted around her limbs in an unorderly mess. Flipping her braid over her shoulder, Chloe silently made her way to the door, hearing the faint sound of music down the hall. _

_Chloe slowly pushed the door open, quietly clicking it shut as she followed the sound of the dynamic beat all the way to Liz's room. The door was slightly ajar, so she poked her head in, glancing around in amazement as she stared at the full scale, fully equipped film studio. _

_Awe-struck, Chloe slowly stepped inside, taking in everything she saw; from her favourite action movies, to a messy desk covered in notes, and around to the blonde who sat at the computer, fingers tapping feveratically at the keyboard. _

_As the door clicked shut, Liz spun in her chair, grinning as she watched the blonde continue to stare in pure amazement. "What is all this?" Chloe asked, her voice barely above a whisper as she absorbed everything that stood before her._

_"Its my hobby. Everyone here has one. Tori's is fashion designing, Rae likes hand-to-hand combat, Simon's hobby is art, Peter's is basketball while Brady's is football, Derek's is boxing and mine is film making." Liz explained, Chloe following half-heartedly. _

_"Cool, so what're you working on?"_

_"That's a secret, but I'll show everyone when its finished. So are you here to get a head start on boy attraction lessons, or do you want a detailed tour of The Warehouse?" Liz leant back in the chair, her fingers steepled. _

_"Option two please," Chloe answered in a perky voice she didn't know she had._

_"C'mon then," Liz said, encouraging as she ran from the room. The blonde girls walked through the halls, Liz explaining in great detail about each individual room, but Chloe shuddered at the sight of the training room. _

_Chloe had the idea that the training was just a simple gym room, but this was more violent than she could have imagined; dummys lay across the floor, melted and disfigured, charred smears on each wall, cracks visible in both the floor and the walls. _

_Chloe was truly terrified as her mind went into panic, thinking these people knew her secret, her terrible secret. _

_Upon seeing the blonde's anxious and scared expression, Liz swiftly led the girl away from the room, making her way around the meeting room, continuing to the bedrooms. _

_When they arrived back at Liz's room, having gone full circle, Liz got straight back to her task, "Now that we have finished the tour, let us get started on your lessons. And maybe, we might have you fixed up in only two days." Liz's eyes shimmered with such evil and mischief, Chloe gulped, so loud she felt Liz had heard it. _

_Rae and Tori arrived halfway through the session, standing by as Liz lectured Chloe, giving her pointers and scenarios she might find herself in. Liz then had Rae and Tori help quiz Chloe, who had absorbed all the information easily, reeling it off her tongue as if she knew everything all along. _

_As Chloe finished, the girls' expressions went entirely serious as they hovered in a small huddle, deep in conversation, Chloe avoiding eavesdropping as much as possible, but constantly hearing them say, "She is ready."_

_Soon they finished discussing, all of them nodding firmly in agreement, before turning back to Chloe who cowered away from their stares. "It is time for the final transformation." Tori stated simply, not caring about how she said it, so emotionless and matter-of-factly, not realising how intimidated Chloe felt at the present moment. Chloe was, in a nutshell, very scared of these girls who didn't even seem, act or sound like themselves. _

_So, as she asked this question, Chloe couldn't help the almost undetectable shake between the syllables, "What final transformation?"_

_"Its time to do... Your _hair_!" Each girl screamed, leaving Chloe to cover her ears, still ringing even after they had finished, leaving her slightly dizzy as they pushed her into a chair - none too gently either. _

_Due to her excitement, Rae continued to babble, barely taking any time to breath as she explained, "We're gonna let out your hair first, colour it and-"_

_"Then you might want me to stand," Chloe cutting in, pushing to her feet, as she slowly unravelled her hair from the firm braid. _

_"Why would we need to-" Tori started, her sentence cut off by a gasp, watching as the blonde locks fell to their full length, the ends just below Chloe's hips. _

_"Oh, my, God," Rae said slowly, her entire form frozen. "Your hair is so long."_

_Tori gaped, leaning closer, wanting to touch it but not sure whether she was allowed, "Is it real?"_

_"Yeah, though it can be a real pain, which is why I tie it up." Chloe replied. _

_"Why don't you just cut it?" Liz asked, transfixed by the impossible length. _

_"I don't know. It just wouldn't feel right, I guess." Chloe answered, having never really thought about it. _

_For the past few years she'd been growing out her hair, keeping it tied back constantly, unfazed by the unnatural length._

_"Okay, we aren't going to cut it cuz you totally rock the look. So we're just gonna add coloured stripes, sort out your bangs and show you some superhot hairstyles." Liz listed out loud, weighing up the possibilities in her head. _

_"What colour are the stripes gonna be?" Chloe asked, cautious and anxious at the result she might be given. _

_"That's a surprise." Tori answered, eyes glittering too madly for Chloe's liking, her discomfort only increasing, making her fidgety as she sat for two hours, listening to Liz give orders and tell her not to look. _

_Then, after what seemed like forever, Chloe opened her eyes, and when she saw the girl in the mirror, she instantly thought that she was looking at someone else. She couldn't possibly be looking at herself, she wasn't what anyone would describe as 'hot' or 'attractive' or 'sexy'. Yet those were the words that flew through her brain as she took in her form, her blonde hair striped red, long side bangs that hung over the top of one eye, caressing the side of her cheek, framing her face. _

_She noticed her baby blue eyes burst with colour, the black eyeliner and blood red lips making her look extremely enchanting. With her new hair, the makeup and her dark booty shorts, off-the-shoulder top, and black ankle boots, she looked dangerous and somewhat sexy at the same time. _

_Liz stepped between Chloe and the mirror, drawing Chloe's attention to her glittering eyes, the smirk pulling on the corner of her mouth. "Guess what we do now?"_

_Chloe, completely clueless as to what else could possibly need to be done, answered with her own question, "What do we do now?"_

_Tori stepped in beside her as Rae pulled her from her seat, Tori answering her question with a mischievous look in her eye, "Now its time for you to meet the guys."_

_The three girls screamed, filled with giddy excitement, Chloe going to cover her ears when she noticed her nails were filed into perfect ovals, covered in a neat layer of glossy blood red nail varnish. _

_Tori and Rae began to hustle Chloe from the room when Liz blocked their path, expression serious. "Three of the four guys are already taken. Simon is mine, Brady is Tori's and Peter is Rae's. So, Derek is yours for the taking."_

_Her serious expression fell away, a playful one painting itself on her features as she raced from the room, the others chasing after her. They all paused at a set of double door, labelled, 'The Underground,' all of them catching their breath as Chloe stepped inside. _

_As the door opened, Chloe was mesemerized by what she saw, the glaring neon lights, the glow of the dark graffiti that decorated the walls. _

_In a strange underground club kind of way, she found it beautiful. _

_Liz called out into the darkness, "Hey babe," a figure emerging from the shadows and hooking an arm around Liz's waist. He had a nice build, his blond hair standing up slightly, the ends dyed a dark red Chloe noticed, as he muttered in Liz's ear, making her shiver and tremble, and Chloe knew he was Simon._

_He wore a black t-shirt, the side of it decorated with an intricately detailed silver dragon, a pair of loose black jeans and silver high tops, his wrist clad with a steel band. _

_Two other guys stepped from the shadows, the dark haired one wrapping his arms around Tori, his hands resting casually on her ass, his lips a hair's breadth from Tori's as he whispered to her. Chloe assumed he was Brady, his dark hair tipped dark purple, his black t-shirt bearing, in bold type, 'BITCH, I'M A BOSS,' his jeans and high tops similar to Simon's, a steel ring on his middle finger. _

_The brown haired boy went over to Rae, proving Chloe's assumptions that he was Peter, his hands cradling her face as her hands slid into his back pockets, his thumbs lightly and affectionately caressing the sides of her face. The tips of his hair were dyed a dark green, the back of his black top decorated with a very detailed grim reaper, his loose jeans holding a silver belt with a silver lightning bolt belt buckle, his feet covered by black high tops._

_It was then that Chloe realised there were only three guys, the other one hadn't stepped out. Liz smiled at Simon, pulling away slightly and calling into the darkness, "Hey, Derek. Where are your manners? Come and say hi to our guest."_

_Chloe hadn't been entirely sure as to what she expected of Derek, only that he would have a similar build to the other guys. She sure hadn't been expecting the big teenager who had muscle in all the right places to step from the shadows. _

_Chloe's eyes worked upwards, taking in every detail of him, from his scuffed black combat boots, to the rip holes in the knees of his loose black jeans. Then she noticed how the black wife beater he wore hugged his torso in all the right places, acting more like a second skin than a piece of clothing, showing off the contours of his amazingly sculpted chest and stomach. _

_Using all the willpower she possessed, her eyes diverted themselves from the rippling muscles in his arms as he moved, to his amazing facial features. His full pink lips pursed, his straight nose and strong jaw that clenched as he walked, his glossy, black hair tipped dark blue as it hung in his face like a curtain over his eyes. _

_Had she had any breath left, Chloe would have gasped as those molten, emerald green eyes met hers, widening slightly as he froze. _

_Slowly, Chloe took a few steps forward, meeting Derek just outside the shadows. "Hi, I'm Chloe." Her cheeks heated bright red, gaze dipping slightly as she began to fiddle with her nails. _

_She noticed the guy before her, who didn't seem easily discomforted, shuffle on his feet, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he mumbled in reply, "Derek." _

I looked up to see Tori, Liz and Rae in the cherry blossom tree, unintentionally prepping a great shot for me. Rae and Liz were about halfway up the tree, hanging on opposite branches by their legs, Tori a little further up, looking like she was ready to jump.

I crouched, looking through my bag and pulling my camera out, taking quite a few shots, before flicking through them and mentally taking notes of the ones I could use. I was already working on our project, already had loads of photos ready to use, but just couldn't be asked to develop any of them, even with access to my own personal dark room.

I placed my camera back in my bag, walking over to the tree as the girls began descending from their branches, when I noticed the lace to one of my Doc Martins was undone. Sighing, I walked over to a bench, rested my foot on the edge of it and tied the lace.

As I was finishing the knot, a shadow loomed over me, and I mentally cursed myself for choosing to wear my tight short shorts that hugged the curve of my ass just right.

With my lace securely tied, I straightened, smirking as my hair fell over my shoulder, showing my bare neck and shoulder, my low cut, off-the-shoulder t-shirt revealing the pale skin and the curve where the neck met the shoulder. "Checking out my ass? Seen enough of it?" I asked, without turning, pulling my hair further over my shoulder, combing it contently as I heard a slight, almost undetectable hitch in the breathing of whoever stood behind me.

"I wasn't checking out the ass. It was the girl who owned it who caught my attention." A low, familiar rumble said in reply.

"Really?" I questioned slowly, spinning on my toes only to stare into a pair of molten green glowing eyes. And only one person in this school had those eyes.

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><p><strong>Hope you enjoyed it. Until next time.<strong>


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